A2&—Lancaster Farming, Thursday, December 24,1981
JANUARY
1980
(Editor's Note - This is the fourth
article in a series on swine health-
A Review of PA Pseudorabies
Concern about the pseudorabies
situation is one of the things that
prompted this series of articles on
swine health.
While pseudorabies is a concern
of the swine industry, it is not—and
should not be—the only health
concern. Other diseases are just as
costly, or even more costly, than
pseudorabies.
This article, however, will focus
on PRV. What is our present
status? What are the trends,
locally? Are we making any
headway on the problem?
The following information,
prepared by the public information
office of the Pennsylvania Bureau
of Animal Industry answers some
of these questions. The
“Guidelines for Preventing
Pseudorabies” is also a good
guideline for preventing other
swine health problems as well—a
very valid concern for this time of
the year.
Last winter, eastern Lancaster
County experienced an outbreak of
pseudorabies.
In a five-mile area, fanners
experienced high losses in
newborn pigs and the occurance of
downed steers and dairy cattle
PENNSYLVANIA PSEUDORABIES
Number of Quarantines in Force Each Month
New Quarantines Per Quartet
What You Should
Know About
Swine Health
by Glenn Shirk
Lancaster Extension Agent
with severe itching symptoms.
Veterinarians tentatively
diagnosed this illness as
pseudorabies. This diagnosis was
then confirmed by tests at the Pa.
Dept, of Agriculture’s Sum
merdale Laboratory.
PRV almost was unheard of in
Pennsylvania prior to 1980.
However, in January 1960, a
central Pennsylvania veterinarian
made a tentative diagnosis con
firmed by the Summerdale Lab,
that a group of feeder pigs had
PRV.
'JANUARY
1981
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(Incomplete)
An investigation of the source of
this outbreak identified three PRV
infected herds. These herds were
located in the area between
Ephrata and New Holland.
The next case of PRV was
diagnosed in a Lancaster County
herd that had severe losses of
newborn pigs, dogs and cats. By
April 2980, nine herds were known
to be infected with PRV.
During this time, a fanner in
Lebanon County lost eight heifers
that had mingled with his swine.
Traceback from this farm resulted
in the disease being diagnosed in
three more herds.
October showed another in
crease in PRV. Pseudorabies
surveillance of swine,throughout
Pennsylvania was done by testing
blood collected from breeding
animals at time of slaughter. The
surveillance program identified
five additional herds, two in
Lancaster County, and one herd
each in Lebanon, Berks and
Schuylkill counties.
To identify the area affected by
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YEAR END SALE
BINKLEY & HURST BROS. f INC.
pseudorabies, the Department of
Agriculture tested 207 herds in a
50-square mile area between
Ephrata and New Holland, Lan
caster County in April and May,
1981.
Results of the survey were not
surprising. Twenty-two infected
herds, mostly neighbors of known
infected herds, were discovered.
Pseudorabies surveillance
through blood testing from culled
breeder swine at slaughter has
been continued. Only one new
infected herd has been found by the
surveillance program in 1981. This
herd is in the same area of Lan
caster County.
Since January 1980, 70 Penn
sylvania swine herds have been
infected with pseudorabies. A total
of 24 farms including IS breeding
herds and 9 feedlots are still under
quarantine.
A. ALL HERDS
1. SEPARATE hogs from all other livestock.
2. NO UNAUTHORIZED PEOPLE allowed in any hog house or on any
livestock truck; authorized people should use DISINFECTANT and FOOT
BATH, shower facilities or disposable clothing, etc. Post a sign, use locks, and
heed quarantines.
3. STRAY ANIMALS should be controlled—cats, dogs, rodents, wildlife, etc.
4. PRE-SORT HOGS for shipment; prevent hogs from entering truck, and
then retunngtopen.
5. HAUL feeder pigs and breeding stock in CLEANED and DISINFECTED
vehicles only.
6. EQUIPMENT SHARED with other farmers should be cleaned and disin
fected especially if it contacted hogs and hog manure.
7. CLEAN AND DISINFECT trucks and boots after visiting or hauling stock to
any auction or buying station.
8. DISPOSE OF DEAD animals promptly. Bury under one foot of cover, in
cinerate, or seal in plastic bag and give to a scavenger, etc., beware of leaky
scavenger trucks.
9. AT FAIRS separate hogs from other livestock. Fair rules should recom
mend hogs be negative to a test conducted within 30 days of show, or come
from qualified pseudorabies free herds. Isolate and re-test breeding stock
returned to farm.
10. CALL VETERINARIAN if questionable health problems exist.
11. ERADICATE pseudorabies infections promptly. Ask you veterinarian,
regulatory personnel or Extension personnel for assistance.
12. ENCOURAGE EVERYONE to follow these guidelines - farmers plus sales
and service personnel.
B. BREEDER HERDS:
1. TEST ALL newly-acquired breeding stock. Be sure they are negative
BEFORE they come onto your farm.
2. ISOLATE ALL newly-acquired breeding stock for 30-45 days.
3. RE-TEST ALL newly-acquired breeding stock 30-45 days after arrival
before adding them to the breeding herd.
4. HEALTH CERTIFICATES should accompany ALL out-of-state hogs. Hogs
should be individually identified.
5. FEEDING STOCK should NEVER be purchased and brought onto a i-.rm
that has breeding stock.
6. SEED STOCK PRODUCERS should strive for a QUALIFIED
PSEUDORABIES FREE herd.
C. FEEDER HERDS:
1. HEALTH CERTIFICATES should accompany ALL out-of-state hogs Hogs
should be individually identified.
2. TEST 5-15 percent of ALL out-of-state auction pig-.
'JANUARY
1982
133 Rothsville Station Road, Lititz, PA 17543
PH: 717-626-4705
Prevent Pseudorabies
Guidelines for
Pork Producers
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Winter stresses, associated with
many livestock diseases appear to
be related to increased incidents of {
PRV. Often a single normal ap
pearing hog may be a carrier of the
disease and shed the virus after
being affected by stress such as
weather, moving or farrowing.
Susceptible animals become in
fected,- becoming severely ill and
die. Co-mingling of swine and
cattle is of real concern to many.
Walking from hog pens to barns
where dairy or beef animals are
kept can also be hazardous.
• The Lancaster County PRV task
force has been working to stop the
spread of the disease. You can help
by managing your herd according
to the following recommendations:
Contact veterinarians, Extension
agencies or the Bureau of Animal
Industries offices for more in
formation about pseudorabies.